! 


Fifteen  Years  in 
the  Korea  Mission 


FIFTEEN  YEARS  IN 
THE  KOREA  MISSION 


■J- 

By  Miss  ELLEN  C.  PARSONS 

Editor  of  Woman's  Work  for  Woman 

I— OPPORTUNITIES. 

The  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  in  Korea 
has  been  that  of  passing  through  one  door  of  op- 
portunity after  another. 

The  fact  that  the  first  treaty  with  the  Hermit 
Nation  was  secured  bj’the  United  States  (in  1882) 
opened  door  Number  One.  When  that  treaty 
was  ratified,  a few  keen  eyes — not  many  on  this 
side  the  ocean — saw  that  the  hour  had  struck  to 
enter  Korea  with  the  gospel,  and  one  day  the  cable 
from  New  York  to  Shanghai  vibrated  with  the 
single  word  “Corea.”  Except  for  the  efforts  of 
two  Scotchmen  on  the  northern  border,  this  cable- 
gram was  the  first  voice  from  Protestant  Christ- 
endom to  molest  the  age-old  ^ r , 
heathenism  of  Korea.  It  was  Door  °!,0pPortuility 
destined  to  wake  the  echoes  ° - * 

from  end  to  end  of  the  kingdom.  The  young 
physician  who  received  that  message  understood 
that  he  was  to  go,  in  as  unobtrusive  manner  as 
possible,  to  the  capital  of  Korea  and  try  whether 


his  medical  skill  could  keep  him  there  and  could 
open  a path  for  the  preaching  missionary  to  fol- 
low. Dr.  H.  N.  Allen  reached  Seoul,  September 
1884,  and  the  U.  S.  Minister,  Gen.  Foote,  made 
him  physician  to  the  Legation.  No  Korean  could 
object  to  that.  Thus  was  seized  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

In  February,  1884,  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions had,  through  a friend,  received  an  offer  of 
$5,000  from  the  estate  of  Frederick  Marquand 
with  which  to  found  a mission  in  Korea.  To  this 
sum  a lady  in  Cleveland  added  $2,000,  and  a pas- 
tor in  New  Jersey  $200  more.  But  not  all  minds 
were  favorable  to  the  undertaking.  It  was  urged 
that  the  condition  in  Korea  was  unsettled  and 
_ likely  to  remain  so  for  some  time.  It 

Up^u”1  y was  a poor  country.  European  pow- 
ers were  skirmishing  off  Port  Hamil- 
ton and  Vladivostock  and  who  knew  but  Korea 
might  soon  he  dismembered  between  them  ? Be- 
sides, we  had  missions  enough  on  our  hands. 
Many  old  stations  were  even  now  undermanned. 
To  this  view  was  opjxised  a far-sighted  statesman- 
ship and  unshakable  resolution,  but  it  was  nearly 
three  months  before  they  carried  the  day  and  the 
Board  formally  accepted  those  generous  gifts. 
Thus  was  founded  the  first  Protestant  mission  to 
Korea,  and1  the  door  of  Opportunity  Number  Two 
swung  wide  open  before  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

December  5-8  following,  Seoul  was  distracted 
\ with  an  insurrection.  Six  Koreans  were  mur- 
dered at  an  official  dinner-party,  and  a seventh, 
the  most  prominent  of  all,  near  relative  of  the 
King,  was  terribly  mangled  and  like  to  die.  This 
was  Prince  Min  Youg  lk  who  had  been  Ambas- 
sador to  our  country  and  went  around  the  world 

2 


in  the  U.  S.  S.  S.  Trenton.  Gen.  and  Mrs. 
Foote  and  all  the  Europeans  fled  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble from  the  scene  of  bloodshed  to  Chemulpo,  the 
port.  Not  the  American  doctor.  He  wrote: 
“ We  couldn’t  if 
we  would  and  we 
wouldn’t  if  we 
could.  I came 
to  do  just  such 
work.  I can’t 
leave  these 
wounded  people. 

. . We  shall 
live  in  the  Lega- 
tion with  the  old 
flag  flying,  and 
trust  the  kind 
Father  to  care  for 
us.”  It  required 
no  small  degree 
of  nerve,  for  Mrs.  Allen  at  least,  to  stay  behind 
where  buildings  were  burning  and  bullets  now 
and  then  whizzing  in  the  streets. 

Dr.  Allen  was  summoned  to  attend  the  Prince 
and,  single-handed,  withstood  thirteen  Korean  so- 
called  physicians  who  wished  to  pour 
their  black  wax  into  the  gaping 
wounds.  They  looked  on  in  wonder- 
ment while  he  sewed  them  up  and  tied  the  arteries. 
A Chinese  general  also  looked  on  and  had  the 
good  sense  to  engage  the  doctor’s  services  for 
twenty  of  his  soldiers  who  had  taken  part  in  the 
riot.  These  surgical  operations  were  in  the  main 
successful,  even  the  prince  making  a slow  recov- 
ery. So  was  opened  a third  wide  door  of  oppor- 
tunity. Every  mission  which  has  since  been 


Opportunity 
No.  3. 


Opportunity 
No.  4. 


established  in  Korea,  avails  of  the  advantages  won 
at  this  time. 

The  kind  offices  of  Lieut.  Foulk,  who  became 
U.  S.  Charge  d?  Affaires  at  Seoul,  forwarded  mis- 
sionary Opportunity  Number  Four.  Could  any- 
thing have  been  more  humane  or  conciliatory 
towards  a heathen  sovereign  who  was  easily 
startled  than  the  proposition  for  a Royal  Hospital 
to  be  conducted  on  principles  of  Western  science? 
For  400  years  there  had  been  a sort  of  dispensary 
at  Seoul  under  the  King’s  patronage,  and,  in  1885, 
a thousand  persons  were  nominally  connected 
with  it,  and  accordingly  fed  from  the  government 
crib.  This  bod)"  of  pensioners  was,  of  course,  a 
foe  to  the  new  project,  and  it  was 
even  opposed  by  certain  Europeans 
as  “ a proselyting  institution.”  But, 
by  favor  of  the  King,  the  hospital  was  established 
and  made  a source  of  pride  to  the  citizens.  The 
announcement  that  physicians  in  charge  would 
receive  their  salaries  “from  a benevolent  society 
in  America  which  supports  similar  institutions  in 
China  ” was  well  received  among  people  to  whom 
China  was  the  ancient  and  august  suzerain.  The 
building,  simply  a Korean  house  of  the  better 
class,  accommodating  forty  beds,  was  put  in  re- 
pair by  Government.  The  King  named  the  hospital 
Hay  Min  So,  “House  of  Civilized  Virtue,”  Dr. 
Allen  was  placed  in  charge,  and,  when  Rev.  H. 
G.  Underwood  arrived,  April  1885,  he  found  it  in 
full  swing,  “ four  to  six  operations  every  morning 
and  about  seventy  dispensary  patients  in  the  after- 
noon.” This  was  the  first  institution  of  Western 
civilization  established  in  Korea. 

Opportunity  Number  Five  grew  out  of  the  call 
for  a medically  trained  woman.  Within  three 


months  after  Miss  Annie  Ellers  reached  Seoul 
(July  1886.)  she  had  been  profession-  „ t .. 
ally  useful  to  the  Queen,  and  re-  OPP”*™1'' 
ceived  from  her  many  proofs  of  af- 
fection. The  way  was  now  fully  prepared  for 
single  women  in  the  mission. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  these  pages  to  follow 
in  detail  a history  of  fifteen  years,  but  only  to 
outline  the  more  salient  events  which  successively 
afforded  gracious  opportunity  for  the  development 
of  the  mission.  Pursuing  this  aim,  our  next  step 
introduces  an  inquiry:  Seoul  was  at  first  the 

center  of  all  things;  what  opened  the  door  into 
the  provinces  ? (1)  Traveling  Koreans,  who  had 

been  converted  through  the  labors  of  Rev.  John 
Ross,  of  the  Scotch  Mission  in  Manchuria,  had 
returned  across  the  northern  border,  and  led 
some  of  their  countrymen  to  Christ.  Among  the 
first  men  baptized  at  Seoul  were  certain  of  these, 
and  in  1887  there  was  a sufficient  number  of 
partially  instructed  men  in  Pyeng  An  province  to 
warrant  the  appointment  of  a Korean  helper 
there.  (2)  After  patient  itineration,  living  quietly 
for  weeks  at  a time  among  the  people  in  Pyeng 
Yang  city,  though  it  was  not  open  to  foreign 
residence  and  Government  gave  no  guarantee  of 
safety,  the  missionary  won  his  way  by  human, 
friendly  contact  and  ceaseless  teaching  of  the 
truth,  and  gathered  about  him  a little  flock  who 
“could  not  be  laughed  out  of  their  religion.” 
When  persecution  befell  and  two  Korean  Chris- 
tians, though  beaten  and  shut  into  the  death  cell, 
would  not  deny  their  faith;  and  when  Rev. 
Samuel  A.  Moffett  stood  by  the  Christians  at  the 
risk  of  his  life;  attention  was  favorably  drawn 
towards  a religion  that  made  such  followers. 


(3)  Emphatically,  the  day  of  opportunity  was 
ushered  in  by  the  Japan-Cliinese  war.  When  the 
0_  t people  of  Pyeng  Yang  learned  that  the 

I^o  X*  y King’s  palace  was  held  by  Japanese 
troops,  panic  seized  them.  The  Chris- 
tians alone  were  calm,  and  they  went  boldly  about 
the  streets  urging  men  to  put  their  trust  in  God. 
When  the  Chinese  army  surged  up  to  the  gates  of 
their  own  city,  September  ’94,  and  they  were 
forced  to  fly,  Christians  carried  their  books  with 
them  in  their  boats,  or  in  the  loads  slung  upon 
their  backs,  and  in  all  the  villages  whither  they 
were  scattered  abroad  “ the}’  followed  the  method 
they  had  seen  pursued  and  preached  the  gospel 
to  every  man  they  met.”  From  the  spread  of  the 
truth,  at  this  time,  began  the  movement  which 
has  so  greatly  multiplied  the  number  of  believers 
in  all  that  region.  After  the  war,  the  gods  of 
China  dwindled  in  the  respect  of  Koreans  every- 
where. The  weapons  which  had  overthrown 
their  former  mighty  patron  had  come  from  the 
Western  world — the  religion  of  the  West  could 
no  longer  be  despised. 

Opportunity  Number  Seven  was  such  as  per- 
~ . tains  only  to  a young  mission,  un- 

No^  No  T hampered  by  precedent  and  ruts  — 
°'  ' °*  * the  chance  to  strike  out  on  new 

lines  and  in  modern  methods.  Well  has  this  been 
availed  of. 

The  Korea  Mission  holds  in  its  hand  to-day  the 
greatest  of  all  its  opportunities.  Now  is  the  time 
of  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  con- 
tagion of  Christianity  new-born.  The  first  Lord’s 
Supper  was  celebrated  Christmas  Day,  1887, 
in  Mr.  Underwood’s  house  at  Seoul.  About  that 
time  “ seven  baptized  Christians”  were  present  at 


a service.  Last  year  841  communicants  were  re- 
ceived to  the  churches. 

The  word  “ church  ” in  the  Korea  Mission  means 
— not  a complete  organization  with  pastor  and 
eldership,  but  a little  congregation  of  baptized  be- 
lievers corresponding  to  the  ecclciesia  of  the  first 
Christian  centuries.  Of  such  “churches,”  all  self- 
supporting,  there  are  258  at  the  opening  of  1900. 

It  is  because  our  brethren  in  Korea  realize  their 
opportunity  that  they  are  spending  themselves 
and  being  spent  so  fast,  yet  so  joyfully,  in  weary- 
ing journeys,  in  exhausting  examinations  of  cate- 
chumens and  candidates  for  baptism.  They  know 
the  joy  of  harvest,  and  it  nerves  them  to  strenu- 
ous tasks. 

Here  we  may  profitably  stop  to  suggest  what 
different  results  would  have  followed  a failure 
to  seize,  in  turn,  any  one  of  the  opportunities 
named.  Can  those  early  givers  cease  to  be  grate- 
ful that  they  gave  at  the  start  ? Those  who  put 
their  shoulders  under  the  infant  mission  and  guided 
and  pushed  her  to  her  feet  may  have  had  their 
burdens  and  disappointments,  but  how  rich  their 
reward  to-day  ! 

We  may  notice,  also,  that  some  personal  in- 
strumentalities which  in  the  beginning  were  much 
counted  on  did  not  become,  after  all,  ^ 
the  sources  of  chief  blessing  to  Korea.  T ,os , . 

mi  t~>  ■ * x • tt  l i Leadership. 

1 here  was  rtijutei.  He  was  exploited 
in  letters  from  Japan.  His  picture  was  printed  in 
America.  He  posed  as  another  “man  from  Mace- 
donia.” Poor  Rijntei  fell  under  bad  influences  and, 
while  doubtless  the  means  of  waking  up  much 
interest  in  Korea,  he  slammed-to  the  door,  if  not 
of  personal  salvation,  of  opportunity  to  be  the  first 
Korean  apostle.  Diplomacy  was  in  the  lead  once. 


It  still  has  its  sphere,  hut  it  was  not  that  way  the 
chief  blessing  came.  Medical  skill  was  for  a time 
all-powerful.  It  will  always  take  its  own  honor- 
able place,  but  it  was  not  through  miracles  of  sur- 
gery that  the  wicked  forsook  his  way.  It  is  the 
simple,  unbaited  Gospel  of  Jesus,  proclaimed  per- 
sistently, fearlessly,  broadcast;  taught  and  lived, 
in  love  and  faith  and  devotion ; that  has  brought 
showers  of  blessing  to  the  parched  valleys  of 
Korea. 

The  church  must  heed  the  lessons  of  the  past 
fifteen  years  and  buy  up  her  present  opportunity. 
So  far  from  this  favored  mission  transcending  the 
need  of  the  prayers  of  God’s  people,  it  is  the  very 
hour  to  cry  mightily  to  Him  that  the  harvest  may 
fully  ripen,  till  the  little  one  has  become  a thousand 
and  all  Korea  is  the  Lord’s.  This  is  the  very  time  to 
support  and  encourage  our  brethren  in  every  way. 
It  is  the  last  time  in  the  world  to  be  niggardly 
with  the  Korea  Mission. 


IL— RESULTS. 

When  the  Mission  to  Korea  was  founded,  the 
law  of  the  country  which  decreed  death  to  Chris- 
tians had  not  been  repealed,  and  the  man  was  liv- 
ing, and  by  a sudden  revolution  might  he  placed 
on  the  throne,  who  only  eighteen  years  before 
had  put  *20,000  Roman  Catholics  to  death.  On 
the  other  hand,  one  important  fact  was  highly 
favorable  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity.  The 
reigning  dynasty  had  withdrawn  support  to  Bud- 
dhism. There  was  no  intx*enched  literary  religion. 

8 


Hearts  were  swept  bare,  and  when  a warm,  living 
message  came  to  them  it  would  be  welcomed. 

Progress  during  the  early  years  was  sufficient 
to  encourage — was  remarkable  compared  with  first 
fruits  in  some  missions — but  it  was  slow  compared 
with  what  followed  later.  While  it  was  believed 
that  more  than  two  hundred  men  around  Seoul 
had  read  Mr.  Ross'  translation  of  the  Bible  or 
been  instructed  by  his  men ; while  it  was  known 
that  some  of  them  were  secretly  praying  to  the 
true  God,  they  did  not  show  themselves  openly. 
They  were  afraid  of  ridicule  and  opposition. 
Those  who  came  to  catechumen  class  p 
were  marked  men,  and  every  effort  was  _ .. 
made  to  tempt  them  to  return  to  sinful  evers‘ 
habits  which  the  “ Jesus  doctrine  ” men  had  for- 
saken. Mr.  Underwood  baptized  the  first  Korean 
in  July  188G.  This  man  had  read  Chinese  books 
opposing  Christianity,  and  thereby  his  curiosity 
had  been  awakened  to  hear  the  other  side.  Those 
who  first  identified  themselves  with  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  were  warned  that  they  might  lose  their 
lives  for  it,  and  one  man  answered : “ Though  my 
King  cut  off  my  head  for  obeying  my  God,  I shall 
be  all  right.”  In  June  ’87,  the  total  baptisms 
were  nine;  the  next  year  they  included  five 
women.  When,  in  December  ’91,  twenty -three 
Koreans  partook  of  the  Lord’s  Supper,  it  was  the 
largest  number  that  had  communed  together 
at  one  time.  For  those  early  confessors  were  not 
always  to  be  counted  upon.  Some  of  them  were 
baptized  where  the  itinerating  missionary  had 
found  them,  at  points  far  distant  from  the  capital. 
Some  of  them  were  never  seen  after  their  baptism. 

The  first  Protestant  church  in  the  kingdom  was 
organized  at  Seoul,  September,  ’87.  It  has  now 


9 


expanded  into  ninety  - nine  self-supporting 
churches , three  of  them  in  the  city  and  the  rest 
First  Church  *n  ^ie  country  surrounding  Seoul.  In 
1887-1900  ' connection  with  Seoul  Station,  the 
gospel  is  preached  regularly  at  105 
places.  The  communicants  are  1,200,  the  adher- 
ents 2,800. 


OUR  FELLOW  CHRISTIANS  IN  SEOUL. 

Growth  in  the  North  has  been  even  more  re- 
markable. Pyeng  Yang  was  not  made  a per- 
manent station  until  1894.  Up  to  that  time,  mis- 
sionary seed-sowing  and  oversight  were  accom- 
plished only  by  means  of  long,  rough  journeys, 
attended  with  such  accommodations  of  food  and 


10 


lodging  as  Korean  houses^Tlfford 
temporary  classes  and  by  way- 
side  instruction,  or  more  for- 
mal preaching,  wherever  men 
would  listen. 

rate  of  advance  in  this  section : 


by  holding 

Development  of 
Pyeng  Yang  Station. 

The  following  outline  indicates  the 


Sept.,  1890. 


Mar.,  1891. 


1898. 

1895. 


1890. 


1H97. 


1M9K. 


1 s‘»!t. 


3 baptized  men  in  Pyeng  Yang  city,  3 re 
ported  believers  ; no  regular  meetings,  no 
leadership. 

20-30  Christians  found  in  Eui  Ju,  a provincial 
town. 

Church  organized. 

20  church  members  in  the  city ; 73  baptized 
persons  in  Pyeng  An  province;  4 church 
buildings,  wholly  or  partially  completed. 

150  added  to  the  church;  22  preaching 
places. 

377  church  members.  1.723  catechumens,  69 
preaching  places,  14  new  church  buildings 
provided  by  Koreans. 

697  added  to  the  church ; total  members  iu 
this  field.  1,050;  self-supporting  churches, 
121;  enrolled  catechumens.  3,440;  new 
church  buildings,  44;  Korean  contribu 
tions,  81,438  (gold). 

Church  members,  1,512;  self-supporting 
churches,  153;  adherents,  6,433;  total 
church  buildings,  94,  of  which  38  were 
erected  during  the  year,  for  which  the 
people  contributed  3,781.92  yen. 


Fusan,  a commercial  town  on  the  southeast 
coast,  was  occupied  in  1891  and,  four  years  later, 
missionary  effort  had  pushed  inland,  one  hundred 
miles  from  this  point,  to  Taiku.  The  latter  is  a 
city  of  above  60,000  people,  the  capital  of  the  rich 
Kyeng  Sang  province.  This  southern  field  has 
been  the  least  adequately  manned  of  all,  and  is 
practically  undeveloped. 

Missionaries  were  located  in  Gensan,  on  the 
northeast  coast,  in  ’92,  but  in  1899  were  with- 


ii 


drawn,  the  ArmffWifPfti  Mission  having  come  in 
with  sufficient  force  to  provide  for  that  section. 

Preaching  the  Word  and  building  up  the  Church 
lias  been  the  primary  aim  in  Korea.  All  else  is 
secondary.  This  purpose  has,  however,  had  a 
strong  backing,  from  the  first,  in  the  medical  de- 
partment. In  the  year  ’85-’86  Dr.  Allen  and  Dr. 


tween  them,  11,000  patients.  Dr.  Liilias  Horton 
(Mrs.  Underwood)  succeeded  Miss  Ellers  as  phy- 
sician to  the  Queen  in  ’88.  In  1899,  25,000 
patients  were  treated  at  three  centers,  Seoul, 
Fusan  and  Pyeng  Yang.  The  latter  hospital  re- 
ported three  hundred  important  surgical  opera- 
tions. Fourteen  physicians,  six  of  them  women, 
have  joined  the  mission,  and  the  only  ones  of  its 
membership  who  have  thus  far  laid  down  their 
lives  for  Korea  were  on  the  medical  staff : Dr. 
Heron,  Dr.  Hugh  Brown  and  Miss  Jacobson, 
nurse. 

Schools  are,  mostly,  in  the  elementary  stage  and 
supported  by  Koreans.  There  is  a small  boarding- 
school  for  girls  at  Seoul,  and  “the  nucleus  of  an 
academy  ” for  boys  at  Pyeng  Yang.  The  demand 
for  education  is  coming. 

Literary  work  has  not  been  neglected.  Messrs. 
Underwood  and  Gale  are  on  the  committee  for 
Bible  translation,  which  is  composed  of  five  repre- 
sentatives from  four  missions.  The  entire  New  Tes- 
tament in  Korean  is  just  going  through  the  press  in 
Japan.  Language  helps  have  been  prepared  by 
several  members  of  the  mission  and  Mr.  Gale’s 
great  Dictionary  was  printed  in  ’9(5.  A Hymn- 
book,  various  helps  to  Christian  training,  some 


The  Medical  Arm, 
Schools,  Literature. 


John  Heron  (who  succeeded  Dr. 
Allen  as  physician  of  the  hospi- 
tal and  to  the  King)  had,  be- 


school  text-books,  Sunday-school  lesson  sheets, 
and  a ten-page  family  newspaper,  published 
weekly,  indicate  the  industry  of  the  mission. 


EL— METHOD  OF  THE  MISSION. 


The  Presbyterian  Church  has  never  before  come 
to  the  place  where  it  was  so  called  to  stand  still 
and  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord  pass  by  as  on  the 
field  of  its  Korea  Mission.  In  none  of  its  other 
missions,  furnished  with  equally  devoted  men  and 
women,  has  there  been  a growth  at  once  so  rapid 
and  so  consistent.  What  is  the  secret  of  it  ? 

It  has  not  been  owing  to  any  popular  move- 
ment. No  wave  of  enthusiasm  for  Christianity 
or  Western  civilization  has  swept  over  the  land. 
Obstacles  are  as  definite  and  apparent  in  Korea  as 
anywhere  else.  Oriental  vices  are  as  stalwart, 
the  rottenness  of  human  nature  is  as  real.  The 
fear  of  spirits  is  prevalent,  resort  to  n,  . 
sorcery  is  common.  Ancestral  sacri-  s*ces  ° 
fices  are  imbedded  in  the  social  foun-  ns  Iam  y* 
dations,  and  Oriental  social  customs  hold  the  peo- 
ple in  bondage.  Acceptance  of  Christianity  is  to 
a great  extent  the  loss  of  worldly  gain.  Add  to 
this,  ignorance.  Many  Koreans  hearing  with  the 
ear  have  believed,  but  they  could  not  read  the 
Bible  for  themselves.  “ As  we  were  leaving,  one 
of  the  women,  referring  to  their  ignorance,  said, 

‘ Your  leaving  us  thus  is  as  if  a mother  should 
leave  her  nursing  child.’  These  Christians  beg 
for  some  one  to  teach  them.”  “ A women  sixty- 
eight  years  old  said:  ‘I  learned  a sentence  from 
Mrs.  Han  and  forgot  it;  forgot  again,  asked  about 


13 


it  day  before  yesterday  and  again  yesterday,  and 
now  I have  forgotten  it.  ’ ” 

Finally,  persecution  lias  been  the  rule.  Of  the 
year  just  closed  the  same  report  is  given  as  in  all 
preceding  years:  “No  field  of  work  has  been  re- 
ported without  mention,  in  one  way  or  another,  of 
persecution ; but  in  the  midst  of  it  the  Christians 
have  been  given  grace  to  receive  it,  not  in  a spirit 
of  resentment,  but  in  a spirit  of  love  and  rejoic- 
ing.” 

The  method  which  Dr.  Nevius  pursued  in 

China,  and  which  has  been  generally  called  by 

his  name,  is  the  method  of  the  Korea  Mission. 

First,  itineration — then  more  itineration — constant 

itineration;  hand-picking;  believers  in  a given 

neighborhood  associated  into  a “ group,”  with  one 

of  their  own  number  appointed  “leader”  ; all 

statedly  studying  the  Scriptures  and  worshiping 

™ . ..  — , , together;  groups  sifted  and  the 

Christians  T rained  ± 1 1 n 1 j 

4 n catechumen  class  developed; 

to  Responsibility.  , , • c,  , . , \ . 7 

baptism,  after  long  instruction 
and  probation ; the  Church  kept  simple,  self-sup 
port  introduced  at  the  start,  as  little  machinery  as 
possible.  There  is  no  Presbytery  in  Korea,  yet. 
This  system  has  developed  a great  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility for  the  gospel  in  Korea  Christians. 
They  regard  themselves  as  individually  called  to 
communicate  the  truth  they  hold.  They  volun- 
tarily preach  from  house  to  house  in  their  villages. 
Thousands  of  portions  of  Scripture  and  tracts 
have  been  voluntarily  sold  by  men  traveling  about 
the  country  on  their  own  business.  There  is  a 
cheerful,  devoted  body  of  unpaid  workers,  like  a 
man  whom  Mr.  Speer  saw,  who  came  in  to  report 
upon  his  visit  to  “thirty-one  congregations.” 

Last  spring  two  Pyeng  Yang  women,  returning 

14 


“with  radiant  faces”  from  a preaching  trip,  with- 
out stopping  to  take  food  or  rest,  hastened  to  re- 
port to  Mrs.  Moffett.  “ One  said  that  along  the  way 
they  often  had  many  insulting  things  to  bear  when 
they  were  known  as  Christians,  but  she  smiled 
and  added  : ‘ That  does  not  make 

ence  when  it  is  for  Jesus’  sake, 


and  when  we  can  bring  home  such 


any  differ- 

Workers 
Without  Pay. 


things  as  these,’ — and  she  handed  me 
some  spirit  garments  and  a little  brass  implement 
given  up  by  a sorceress,  who  had  ceased  using  in- 
cantations to  demons  and  now  knows  the  true 
God.” 

Dr.  Georgiana  Whiting  mentions  a dish  seller, 
“ a woman  filled  with  the  Spirit,  who  has  preached 
wherever  she  has  gone  selling  dishes,  and  not  a 
few  have  believed  through  her  word.” 

“Last  winter,”  writes  Mr.  Moffett,  “nearly  a 
score  of  the  men  (of  one  church  in  Suk  Chun 
County)  went  two  by  two  into  the  unevangelized 
section,  north  and  east,  selling  books  and  preach- 
ing, and  from  this  new  groups  have  developed  in 
three  counties.  Six  years  ago,  when  passing 
through  An  Ju,  I talked  with  an  old  man  and 
left  with  him  a copy  of  the  Gospel  of  Mark.  For 
six  years  he  has  been  reading  and  re-reading  it, 
and,  this  year,  hearing  of  a church  at  Sun  Tol, 
five  miles  from  his  village,  he  came  there  for 
further  instructions.  When  I visited  the  church, 
he,  with  six  others  from  his  neighborhood,  came 
to  be  received  as  catechumens — one  of  several 
such  instances  met  this  year.”  (1899). 

A missionary  writes:  “It  is  the  evangelistic 
spirit  fostered  in  the  training  classes  which,  car- 
ried back  into  all  the  country  churches , has  led 
to  the  formation  of  new  groups  of  believers.  The 


15 


spread  of  Christianity  is  due  almost  wholly  to 
spontaneous  evangelistic  efforts  of  Korean 
Christians.  The  church  is  growing  up  indigen- 
ous, self-supporting,  self-propagating,  and  bids 
fair  to  cover  the  land.” 


IV.— CHARACTER  OF  THE  CHURCH 
IN  KOREA. 


(FROM  REPORTS  OF  1899.) 

Miss  Wambold  writes:  “At  Tang  Chin  the 
last  resident  of  the  village  became  a believer,  so 
the  entire  little  settlement  is  Christian.  The 
people  all  came  out  to  meet  me,  and  I felt  exactly 
as  if  I were  going  home.  They  were  so  kind  and 
gentle  it  seemed  as  if  I were  not  in  a heathen 
country  at  all.” 

Mr  Gifford  mentions  Mr.  Yi,  who,  in  the  midst 
of  trouble,  took  to  drinking,  “ and  soon  had  his 
wife  presiding  over  the  wine  bottle  in  a saloon. 
He  was  dealt  with,  and  at  the  time  of  my  last 
visit  there  was  a marked  change.  He  was  then 
ferryman,  on  a poor  little  boat,  where,  at  low  tide, 
he  had  to  wade  across  a wide  mud  flat,  carrying 
passengers  on  his  back ; the  contrast  between  the 
former  easy  inactivity  and  the  heavy  Avork  and 
wading  in  ice-water  in  February,  called  forth 
praise  to  God  for  the  Christian  hero  who,  in 
Christ’s  strength,  had  put  aA\ray  his  former  sinful 
occupation.” 

Mrs.  Underwood  says:  “One  candidate  for 
baptism,  an  ignorant  old  woman,  was  asked 
where  Jesus  dwelt:  ‘With  me  at  my  house.’ 


ie 


She  was  then  asked  if  He  dwelt  only  at  her 
house.  She  answered,  ‘ Oh,  I am  an  ignorant  old 
woman,  I don’t  know ; but  I know  that  He  is  at 
my  house.  ’ ” 

Mr.  Baird  asked  “ the  humble  earnest  people  of 
Nong  Kang  ” if  they  could  afford  to  take  time,  as 


THE  SAEANO,  OR  RECEPTION  ROOM,  AT  TAIKU. 

they  are  very  poor,  to  meet  and  study.  “They 
answered  feelingly  : ‘ Oh,  teacher,  you  have  come 
30,000  li  to  teach  us,  shall  we  not  take  some 
trouble  to  learn  God’s  word  ? ’ ” 

Rev.  Graham  Lee:  “ Last  Sunday  (August  20. 
1899)  we  had  communion  service  in  P}'eng  Yang 
Church,  and  fifty-nine  were  baptized,  thirty-two 
women,  twenty-seven  men.  Among  those  re- 

17 


ceived  was  old  white-haired  Pak,  who  is  an  his- 
toric character.  When  the  General  Sherman* 
grounded  up  here,  just  below  the  city,  the  police 
magistrate  went  aboard  to  investigate.  It  seems 
those  people  in  charge  of  her,  who  were  evidently 
bent  on  robbery,  held  the  magistrate  on  board  as 
prisoner.  Tliis  Pak,  then  young  and  very  strong, 
picked  up  the  police  magistrate  in  his  arms, 
jumped  into  the  river  with  him  and  managed  to 
get  ashore.  For  this  brave  deed  he  was  rewarded 
with  a small  rank  by  the  government.  The  old 
man  is  quite  a character,  and  it  made  him  very 
happy  to  be  baptized.” 

“ A Buddhist  temple  at  Eui  Ju  has  been  turned 
into  a church  and  the  deed  for  the  property  made 
over  to  the  believers.  The  building  is  a fine  one 
and  with  little  alteration  provided  a splendid 
room.  The  people  have  recently  undergone  in- 
tense persecution.” 

Mrs.  Gifford  writes:  “Mrs.  Kim  has  endured 
constant  opposition  from  all  her  relatives  for  seven 
years.  A few  months  ago  a change  began.” 
“In  one  place  in  Pong  San  County,  work  was 
started  by  a widow  who  walked  thirty  miles  to 
the  training  class,  carrying  a bolt  of  cloth  of  her 
own  weaving  with  which  to  defray  her  expenses.” 
“ Keeping  Sabbath  threatened  bankruptcy  to 
some  (at  Seoul)  and  the}'  re-opened  their  shops  on 
Sunday.  But  they  repented  and  are  now  stronger.  ” 
^TW^Rev.  IK  ( i -^duh nn  ui<4.  B^I). : “When  the 
meeting  was  thrown  open,  a man  rose  to  say  that 
it  was  indeed  for  his  sins  Christ  died,  but  he  broke 
out  into  weeping  before  he  had  finished,  and  then 
a wave  of  sorrow  and  sobbing  swept  over  the 
whole  congregation  as  they  beheld  Christ  on  the 

*In  I860,  an  armed  schooner,  owned  by  an  American. 

18 


tree  for  their  sins.  The  next  day  we  celebrated 
the  most  impressive  passover  I ever  attended.” 

Dr.  Whiting:  “ One  of  these  Christians  said, 
‘ The  whole  village  lias  seen  a change  in  me  in 
one  thing.  I used  to  beat  my  children  often  and 
severely ; now  that  mind  is  entirely  gone ! ’ . 

One  woman  gave  this  testimony : ‘ When  my 
husband  became  a Christian,  I refused  to  live 
with  him  and  left  him.  Some  of  the  preachers 
coming  down  from  Seoul  told  him  that  he  could 
not  be  a Christian  and  retain  his  second  wTife  and 
he  sent  her  away.  Then  1 believed.'’  . . . At 

Hai  Ju,  a woman  sixty-three  years  old  gave  one 
of  the  clearest  testimonies  I ever  heard.  In  an- 
swer to  the  question,  ‘ Of  what  interest  is  Jesus  to 
you  ? ’ she  replied  ‘ 1 teas  just  dead  and  He  made 
me  to  live.  ’ ” 

THE  STORY  OF  SORAI  AND  EVANGELIST  SAW. 

In  the  eighties  the  brothers  Saw  came  from  Eui 
Ju,  in  the  North,  to  make  their  home  at  Sorai,  in 
Whang  Hai,  170  miles  from  the  capital.  They 
had  heard  the  gospel  from  Mr.  Ross,  and  they 
journeyed  back  to  China  and  afterwards  went  to 
Seoul  on  purpose  to  ask  more  about  Christ  and  to 
procure  books.  Everything  they  learned  they  im- 
parted to  their  neighbors,  and  their  lives  com- 
mended the  gospel  which  was  on  their  lips. 
From  time  to  time  the  villagers  received  instruc- 
tion from  a visiting  missionary,  several  were  bap- 
tized, and  when  Mr.  McKenzie  from  Nova  Scotia 
came,  in  1893,  to  locate  in  Sorai,  he  found  Mr. 
Saw  Kvung  Jo  the  accepted  leader  of  Christian 
work  in  the  district.  He  engaged  Mr.  Saw  as  his 
language  teacher  and  lived  in  his  house,  and 
when  he  desired  to  pay  for  these  and  other  valu- 

19 


able  services,  Mr.  Saw  declined  to  receive  the 
money  and,  upon  being  pressed,  would  accept 
only  three  dollars  and  a half  a month  as  an  equiv- 
alent for  food.  Mr.  Saw  said  that  he  believed  the 
gospel  and  wanted  his  neighbors  to  believe  it, 
and,  if  he  should  receive  money  from  the  foreigner, 
he  would  lose  bis  influence  ; the  people  would 
laugh  at  him  and  say,  “ An}’  of  us  can  believe  and 
preach,  too,  if  we  get  money  for  it.”  So  Mr.  Saw 
refused  all  salary,  supported  himself  by  farming 
and,  spent  his  leisure  time  in  preaching.  A church 
of  twenty -three  baptized  souls  was  gathered  out 
of  the  Sorai  congregation,  and  doubled  in  the  first 
year.  A little  chapel  was  outgrown  and  succeeded 
by  a church,  built  entirely  with  Korean  offerings, 
which  was  dedicated  in  June,  ’96,  on  the  spot 
where  originally  the  shrine  of  the  heathen  deity  of 
the  village  had  stood.  This  church  now  supports 
two  Korean  home  missionaries.  The  appearance 
of  the  place  was  described  in  a letter  last  year: 

“ Sorai  is  a little  bit  of  home.  The  whole  vil- 
lage of  sixty  houses,  with  two  exceptions,  is  Chris- 
tian. Imagine  going  to  a village  and  not  having 
to  ask  the  question,  ‘ Are  you  a Christian  ? ’ It 
was  a great  privilege  to  see  them  together  for 
worship,  from  fifty  to  a hundred  on  the  women’s 
side  and  as  many  more  on  the  men’s  side  of  the 
church.”  

Pronounce  Seoul Saoul 

Chemulpo Che-mul-po  or  pho. 

Pyeng  An “Ping”  An,  sometimes  Pyong. 

Pyeng  Yang.  . .Ping  Yang. 

Fusan Foo-san. 

Gensan (Hard  g)  Gen-san. 

Eui  Ju We  Jew. 

Taiku Ta-koo  or  gu. 

Sorai So-  ry 


DATE  DUE 

OCT  1 3 71 

SFP  2 0 71 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  U.S  A. 

The 

Board  of 
Foreign  Missions 
of  the 

Presbyterian  Church 
in  the 

U.  S.  A. 

156  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York 
City 


THE  WILLETT  PRESS 
142  FIFTH  AVE.  NEW  YORK 


